Israel's National Security Minister Halts Police Appointments, Freezes Funds Amid Dispute

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has canceled scheduled appointment talks with Police Commissioner Danny Levi, citing the upcoming election period as a reason to postpone personnel decisions. The minister's official justification suggests waiting for the next government to make such appointments. However, behind the scenes, the breakdown reportedly stems from disagreements over specific key positions, including the head of the prosecution department and a deputy legal advisor.

A senior official in the minister's office claimed the dispute escalated over Commissioner Levi's recommendation to appoint Tamar Liberty as deputy legal advisor, a move Ben-Gvir reportedly views as an appointment by the Attorney General, not the minister. Ben-Gvir has previously expressed concerns about appointments made during election periods, citing a need for restraint and to maintain public trust.

Following the cancellation of the talks, Ben-Gvir escalated the conflict by ordering the delay of approximately 300 million shekels in budgets allocated to the police. He reminded the commissioner of his prior demand to the Attorney General to halt police appointments upon entering office, referencing a past dispute with the previous Public Security Minister and Police Commissioner over alleged "hijinks" during a previous appointment round.

A senior police source stated that the commissioner expects the minister to "back the organization in the appointment process, as happens in other organizations under the Ministry of National Security." This is not the first public clash between Ben-Gvir and Levi; a year prior, they reportedly clashed over the awarding of ranks to senior officers, with Ben-Gvir allegedly refusing to sign off on promotions despite police leadership approval.